Strategic Training

Chapter 2

6th Edition
Raymond A. Noe
McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
Discuss how business strategy influences the
type and amount of training in a company
Describe the strategic training and
development process
Discuss how a companys staffing and human
resource planning strategies influence training
Explain the training needs created by
concentration, internal growth external
growth, and disinvestment business strategies

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Learning Objectives
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
centralizing the training function
Discuss the strengths of the business
embedded model for organizing the training
function
Explain a corporate university and its benefits

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Introduction
Business strategy
Integrates the company's goals, policies, and
actions
Influences how the company uses:
Physical capital, financial capital, and human capital

Goals- What the company hopes to achieve in

the medium- and long-term future

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Introduction
Strategy determines:
Amount of training required for current or future
job skills
Extent to which training should be customized
for particular needs
Extent to which training is restricted to specific
groups of employees or open to all
Extent to which training is planned and
systematically administered
Importance placed on training compared to
other HR practices

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Learning as a Strategic Focus
Learning organization: A company that has:
An enhanced capacity to learn, adapt, and
change
Carefully scrutinized and aligned training
processes with company goals
Training as a part of system designed to create
human capital

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 Table 2.1- Key Features of a Learning
Organization
Supportive Learning Environment
Employees feel safe expressing their thoughts about work, asking
questions, disagreeing with managers,
and admitting mistakes.
Different functional and cultural perspectives are appreciated.
Employees are encouraged to take risks, innovate, and explore the
untested and unknown, such as trying new processes and
developing new products and services.
Thoughtful review of the companys processes is encouraged.
Learning Processes and Practices
Knowledge creation, dissemination, sharing, and application are
practiced.
Systems are developed for creating, capturing, and sharing knowledge.
Managers Reinforce Learning
Managers actively question and listen to employees, encouraging
dialogue and debate.
Managers are willing to consider alternative points of view.
Time is devoted to problem identification, learning processes and
practices, and post-performance audits.
Learning is rewarded, promoted, and supported.
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Implications of Learning for Human
Capital Development
Recognition that learning should help:
Employees improve performance
Achieve business goals
Learning should occur on as needed basis
Need to support informal learning
Learning should be supported psychologically

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Implications of Learning for Human
Capital Development
Key capabilities
Aligning learning goals to business goals
Measuring of business impact of learning
Movement of learning outside the company
Developing competencies for critical jobs
Integrating learning with other human resource
functions
Including classroom as well as e-learning
Designing and delivering leadership
development courses

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Figure 2.1- The Strategic Training and
Development Process

Strategic
Training & Metrics
Training &
Business Developm That Show
Developm
Strategy ent Value of
ent
Activities Training
Initiatives
Diversify the Use Web-Based Training Learning
Learning Portfolio Make Development Performance Improvement
Improve Customer Planning Mandatory Reduced Customer
Service Develop Web Sites for Complaints
Accelerate the Knowledge Sharing Reduced Turnover
Pace of Employee Increase Amount of Employee Engagement
Learning Customer Service
Capture and Share Training
Knowledge

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The Strategic Training and
Development Process
Mission: Company's reason for existing
Vision: Is the picture of the future that the
company wants to achieve
Values: What the company stands for
SWOT analysis
Internal analysis of strengths and weaknesses
External analysis of opportunities and threats
External analysis: Examining the operating
environment to identify opportunities and
threats
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The Strategic Training and
Development Process
Internal analysis
Identifies the companys strength and
weaknesses
Examines the available quantity and quality of
financial, physical, and human capital
Strategic choice: The strategy believed to
be the best alternative to achieve the
company goals

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Figure 2.2- Formulating the Business
Strategy External
Analysis

Opportunities
Threats

Goals Strategic
Mission Choice
Company
Why does the Objectives
Company How will we
Exist? Compete?

Internal
Analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses

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Table 2.2- Possible Business Goals
Influenced by Training

Productivity
Reduced scrap and rework
Increased customer satisfaction
Reduced operational risks and accidents due to employee carelessness
Increased employee satisfaction and retention
Increased time and value-producing goods, such as increase in billable
project time hours
Better management decisions
Increased development of human capital
Succession planning needed for competitive advantage and growth.

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Table 2.3- Decisions a Company Must Make
About How to Compete to Reach its Goals

1. Where to compete?
In what markets (industries, products, etc.) will we compete?
2. How to compete?
On what outcome or differentiating characteristic will we
compete? Cost? Quality?
Reliability? Delivery? Innovativeness?
3. With what will we compete?
What resources will allow us to beat the competition? How will
we acquire, develop,
and deploy those resources to compete?

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The Strategic Training and
Development Process
Strategic training and development
initiatives: Learning-related actions that help
to achieve business strategy

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Table 2.5 - Questions to Ask to Develop
Strategic Training and Development
1. What is the vision and mission of the company? Identify the
strategic drivers of the Initiatives
business strategy.
2. What capabilities does the company need as a result of the
business strategy and
business environment challenges?
3. What types of training and development will best attract, retain,
and develop the
talent needed for success?
4. Which competencies are critical for company success and the
business strategy?
5. Does the company have a plan for making the link between
training and development
and the business strategy understood by executives, managers,
and employees or
customers?
6. Will the senior management team publicly support and champion
training and
development?
7. Does the company provide opportunities for training and
developing not only 2-17
individuals but also teams?
The Strategic Training and
Development Process
Metrics
Business-level outcomes chosen to measure the
overall value of training or learning
Strategic business related measures not linked
to one course or program
Balance scorecard
Means of measurement for:
Overall company performance
Performance of departments or functions

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The Strategic Training and
Development Process (cont.)
Considers four perspectives
Customer
Internal innovation
Learning
Financial

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Role of employees and managers
Employees- Responsible for quality of goods and
services
Managers must:
Manage individual and performance
Develop employees and encourage continuous learning
Plan and allocate resources
Coordinate activities and interdependent team
Facilitate decision making
Create and maintain trust
Represent ones work unit

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Top management support
The CEO is responsible for
Setting a clear direction for learning
Providing encouragement, resources and commitment
for strategic learning
Governing learning and reviewing objectives
Developing new learning programs for the company
Teaching program or providing online resources
Serving as role model for learning
Promoting the companies commitment to learning

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Integration of business units
Training likely includes rotating employees
between jobs in different businesses
Global presence
Training helps prepare employees for temporary
or long-term overseas assignments
Business conditions
Impact the ability to find employees with
necessary skills, and retain current employees

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Other HRM practices
Human resource management (HRM)
practices: Activities related to:
Investments
Staffing
Performance management
Training
Compensation and benefits

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Staffing strategy: Company's decisions
regarding:
Where to find employees
How to select them
The desired mix of employee skills and statuses

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Strategic value of Job and employee
uniqueness
Uniqueness: Extent to which employees are
rare and specialized and not highly available
Strategic value
Employee potential to improve company effectiveness
and efficiency
Results in four types of employees
Knowledge-based workers
Job-based employees
Contract employees
Alliance/partnerships

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Human resource planning
Identification, analysis, forecasting, and planning of
changes to help meet changing business conditions

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training
Extent of unionization
Joint union-management programs help
employees prepare for new jobs
Staff involvement in training and development
Effectiveness of the training program depends
on the level of involvement of:
Managers
Employees
Specialized development staff

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Organizational Characteristics That
Influence Training (cont.)
Staff involvement in training and development
If line managers are aware of what development
activity can achieve, they will be more willing to
become involved in it.
They will also become more involved in the training
process if they are rewarded for participating.
An emerging trend is that companies expect
employees to initiate the training process.

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Training Needs in Different
Strategies
Internal growth strategy
Focuses on new market and product
development, innovation, and joint ventures
External growth strategy
Emphasizes acquiring vendors and suppliers or
buying businesses to expand into new markets
Disinvestment strategy: Emphasizes
liquidation and divestiture of businesses

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Models of Organizing the Training
Department
Centralized training
Training and development resources, and
professionals are housed in one location
Training investment and delivery methods
decisions are made from one department
Advantages- Helps integrate programs for
developing leaders and managing talent

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Marketing the Training and Creating A
Brand
Internal marketing-Making employees and
managers excited about training
Internal marketing tactics
Involve the target audience in developing the
training program
Demonstrate how a training program can be
used to solve specific business needs
Identify a champion who actively supports
training
Listen and act on feedback received

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Outsourcing Training
Outsourcing: Use of an outside company
that takes:
Complete responsibility and control of some or
all training or development activities including
Administration
Design
Delivery
Development

Business process outsourcing

Outsourcing of any business process, such as
HRM, production, or training

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Outsourcing Training
Advantages of outsourcing training:
Cost savings
Time savings
Improvements in compliance with training
mandates
Access best training practices
Reasons companies do not outsource their
training
Inability of outsourcing providers to meet
company needs
Desire to maintain control over all aspects of
training and development
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